B+C+B+C+B+C: 5K - mommy season

Saturday, April 26, 2008

5K - mommy season

I like that quote (scripture) about there being a time and season for all things.
Running and racing has been a significant part of my life for about 7 years now. It paid for my entire education - undergrad and masters. It helped me meet some wonderful people from all over the world. I've had "seasons" where I trained fanatically and raced professionally. I've had seasons where I thought of little else other than how my next workout will help me win my upcoming race. And I did a LOT of races - as you can see from my collection of race number bibs. On the back of each is a thorough description of each race - my time, place, prize, weather, the distance, how I felt, etc. Obsessive? Perhaps. But that was that season of my life.
The next photos show the current season I am enjoying...

I have created a NEW wall of race bibs.
They are.... the mommy bibs. Three so far.
The race times written on the back are significantly slower. Almost embarrassingly slow, if I let my mind go that way...
The places/awards are usually nonexistent (unless by some fluke, no one shows up, as occurred at today's fun run).
But... there is nothing more rewarding than finishing my race and grabbing my baby from my sweet supportive husband. That is partly why the new race bibs are displayed in Brianna's room - I feel like I do this for her. She deserves a happy, healthy mommy, and running does that for me. Now I'm not saying that one needs to be a runner and participate in fun-runs to be a good mom. Some may say "yeah, duh." But I know there are other moms out there who would become defensive and/or self-conscious reading this. Like I said - babies deserve happy, healthy moms, and this is what does it for ME. Everyone gets their kicks in their own way.

This last photo is extremely heart-warming to me, and reminds me of another reason I support all these local 5K events. It is a blind man finishing the 5K with his guide dog. This particular run was a fundraiser for the Utah Council of the Blind (titled "3 Blind Mice, See How They Run." Cute huh). Almost every race and fun run is a fundraiser for a nonprofit organization. So as an additional benefit to this obsession I had (have?), I have supported hundreds of great causes.
I love this season of my life where I am focusing on the FUN part of the fun run. Despite being more flabby than fit, I feel good about myself because I know my focus is on the most important aspect of this life - that wonderful guy in the picture with me and the little munchkin in the stroller.

7 comments:

me said...: I happened upon your blog and just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed this post. I too used to be a much faster runner before kids, and sometimes have a hard time with my new (much slower) pace. You are right though, it's now all about being a healthy mommy.

(and your little one is adorable!)

Lisa
www.workoutmommy.com; April 28, 2008 at 4:16 AM
chelsea mckell said...: How crazy... i have NO idea who that first commenter is, nor how she came across my blog. I didn't even know it is possible to search through blogs randomly. Shows how much I pay attention..
But I went to her website - so cool! I'm adding a link on my blog.; April 28, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Ashley said...: So fun, I have finished 4 5k's so far and am loving getting back into running. I have had random people post comments on my blog, kind of creepy. Good luck in the races!!!; April 29, 2008 at 6:07 AM
Amy Hunter said...: Chelsea, I'm so impressed! I wish I could run like that, but the eliptcal machine is my best friend! I think it's great you have found such a fun and healthy passion.; April 30, 2008 at 9:30 AM
Cassie said...: you are soo good to even want to run still after the baby!!! Good job!! I am getting pretty close now and can definitely tell, I am uncomfortable a ton now! I don't know when we will be in Spokane next. The baby comes at the end of June and Christmas will be in Seattle this year, so who knows!; April 30, 2008 at 3:20 PM
doublej said...: thanks for sharing this sweet story. I am with you on recognizing the "seasons" of life. And loved the pictures that went along with your story-how sweet.; May 4, 2008 at 11:08 PM
Chelsea and Cody said...: Chels, this was inspiring! I love it. I just want to read it every day!; May 6, 2008 at 8:11 AM

Quotes I want to remember

"The Lord knows our bearing capacity, both as to coping and to comprehending, and He will not give us more to bear than we can manage at the moment, though to us it may seem otherwise. Just as no temptations will come to us from which we cannot escape or which we cannot bear, we will not be given more trials than we can sustain."
- Neal A. Maxwell

"It is a fundamental truth that the responsibilities of motherhood cannot be successfully delegated. No, not to day-care centers, not to schools, not to nurseries, not to babysitters. We become enamored with men's theories such as the idea of preschool training outside the home for young children. Not only does this put added pressure on the budget, but it places young children in an environment away from mother's influence."
-Ezra Taft Benson

“Perhaps there has never been a time when we had greater need to pray and to teach our family members to pray. Prayer is a defense against temptation. It is through earnest and heartfelt prayer that we can receive the needed blessings and the support required to make our way in this sometimes difficult and challenging journey we call mortality.”
-Thomas S. Monson

“Live the gospel as conspicuously as you can. Keep the covenants your children know you have made. And bear your testimony! Don’t just assume your children will somehow get the drift of your beliefs on their own.
-Jeffrey R. Holland

"We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. We cannot be casual in how we prepare them. Our challenge as parents and teachers is not to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith."
-Neil L. Andersen

"Certainly there are times when getting the family together to read the scriptures does not stack up as a spiritual experience worthy of a journal entry. But we must not be deterred. There are special times when the spirit of a son or daughter is just right and the power of these great scriptures goes down into their heart like fire. As we honor our Heavenly Father in our homes, He will honor our efforts."
-Neil L. Andersen

President Hinckley admonished both men and women to be nurturers. He said, ‘How much more beautiful would be the society in which we live if every father . . . and . . . mother regarded [their] children . . . as gifts from the God of heaven . . . and brought them up with true affection in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord.’ ”
-Susan W. Tanner

"Children are like trees. When they are young, their lives can be shaped and directed, usually with ever so little effort. Said the writer of Proverbs, 'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it' (22:6). That training finds its roots in the home. There will be little of help from other sources. Do not depend on government to help in this darkening situation. Barbara Bush, wife of former U.S. president George Bush, spoke wisely: 'Your success as a family, our success as society, depends not on what happens at the White House, but on what happens inside your house.' "
-Gordon B. Hinckley

“I give counsel to husbands and wives. Pray for the love which allows you to see the good in your companion. Pray for the love that makes weaknesses and mistakes seem small. Pray for the love to make your companion’s joy your own. Pray for the love to want to lessen the load and soften the sorrows of your companion.”
-Henry B. Eyring

“Reverent behavior is not a natural tendency for most children. It is a quality that is taught by parents and leaders through example and training. But remember, if reverence is rooted in love, so is the teaching of it. Harshness in our training begets resentment, not reverence.”
-Margaret S. Lifferth

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else."
- M. Russell Ballard

“As parents, we should remember that our lives may be the book from the family library which the children most treasure. Are our examples worthy of emulation? Do we live in such a way that a son or a daughter may say, ‘I want to follow my dad,’ or ‘I want to be like my mother’?”
-Thomas S. Monson

“Security for our families comes from learning self-control, avoiding the excesses of this world, and being temperate in all things.”
-Kent D. Watson

Saturday, April 26, 2008

5K - mommy season

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